The race for the District 81 seat in the state House pits a longtime Republican against a Democrat who is conservative on issues such as gun owners’ rights, they said in interviews.
The mostly rural District 81 stretches from the Arkansas River southeast of Alma in Crawford County north past Lake Sequoyah in Fayetteville.
Republican Bruce Coleman of Mountainburg is running against Democrat Susan McGaughey of West Fork. Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, is not seeking re-election.
Early voting begins Oct. 24 for the Nov. 8 general election.
The Democrats would be three seats short of a majority in the House even if McGaughey and every other member of her party won their races.
Arkansans voted for change in recent elections, with Republicans securing a majority in both chambers of the Legislature and in all the state’s constitutional offices in the 2014 election, Coleman said. The area that is District 81 now has been trending Republican since the 1980s, he said, and it should not be among the first to take steps back. Coleman is a longtime backer of GOP candidates, but this is his first campaign for state office.
“People in rural areas are independent. They want to determine their own future by working for it,” Coleman said. “They have compassion and will help anyone they see who needs it, but they’d rather do that than have you telling them how much money they need to give you so you can go help them.”
Such self-suff iciency should extend to candidates, McGaughey said. She said she won’t accept lobbyist or political donations and makes that a major emphasis in her campaign.
“The people who give money are savvy enough to know that it is a business deal,” she said. “They expect to get something for their money.”
McGaughey said party labels mean far less than what a candidate actually stands for. For instance, Democrats are often characterized in other races as opponents of the right to bear arms, as expressed in the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“The 2nd Amendment to me is a big deal, and I recognize that it’s under attack,” she said. “I value mine and everyone else’s ability to protect their families.”
Constituents know him and that he will represents their values of “believe in God and strong families,” Coleman said. He said he opposes the state’s health care plan, now called “Arkansas Work,” which subsidizes health care insurance coverage for lower income Arkansans.
Both candidates said they will not hew the party line on issues.
McGaughey said Democrats need to realize the maze the state’s health plan has become. Simplifying health benefits should be a major issue, she said.
Arkansas House of Representatives District 81
Democrat
Susan McGaughey
• Age: 62
• Residency: West Fork
• Employment: Counselor and social worker in the Rogers School District
• Education: Masters degree in social work, bachelor’s degree in psychology, University of Arkansas
• Political experience: None
Republican
Bruce Coleman
• Age: 73
• Residency: Mountainburg
• Employment: Retired; former owner of Coleman Butane Gas Co.
• Education: Doctorate in nutritional biochemistry, University of Wisconsin
• Political experience: Mountainburg School Board, early to mid-1980s
Doug Thompson can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWADoug